While many companies have abandoned the American ideal of making their products on our soil, with our people; others have opted to close factories, lay off workers, and move their manufacturing operations offshore or across the border.

Dan Dippel, General Manager, and Suz-anne Frueauf, Product Manager, are proud to build their products in America using American parts and American labor.

In some cases, our own government laws and programs have made it easier for companies to abandon America for cheap labor and cheap products being manufactured in countries such as Mexico, Taiwan and China.

Fortunately, there are still many great manufacturing companies, and many of them are in the RV industry. These companies have put their trust and confidence in an American manufacturer that continues to grow through product acceptance, new product development, and the quality that makes them a preferred vendor to many RV manufacturers today.
 

From range hoods and accessories to vents and Ventdomes to monitoring systems and wire harnesses, Ventline plans to promote their products to consumers at major shows.

One such company is Ventline, a manufacturer of venting products. Located in Bristol, the company is a division of Philips Products, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Tomkins PLC of London England. Starting in a 15,000 square foot building in 1965, the company now has grown to 130,000 square feet and employs approximately 160 people.

You really have to walk the building, observe the manufacturing processes, and see the hard work and dedication of the employees to fully appreciate what this company represents to the RV industry. The front of the building looks like a small office building. Only when you walk through the doors and enter the manufacturing facility, do you really get an appreciation for the full capabilities and experience that has been built into this company over the past 38 years.

Dan Dippel, General Manager, and Suz-anne Frueauf, Product Manager, invited us to visit with them recently to review some new products and provide us with a tour of the manufacturing operations.

Dippel noted, "We’ve been a quiet player in a fast growing industry. Our customers look to Ventline for innovation, new ideas, and our willingness to listen to them. I think our customer’s appreciate the way we conduct business and they look to our team for new ideas and new things that will enhance the value of their RV."

The company is going to be more pro-active at the consumer level this year. Product Manager, Suz-anne Frueauf, said, "We will be presenting our products to consumers at shows such as Quartzite and Pomona this year, and will be looking for other opportunities to increase brand-awareness with prospective customers.

We will also remain active in industry trade shows such as the upcoming RVDA Convention, which will be the third year that we have shown our products to this group."

The tremendous manufacturing capability within the walls of Ventline allows them to send a truckload of products each week to their 13 warehouse locations strategically located throughout the country.

Ventline services the RV and Manufactured Housing industries. Approximately 70% of their business is with the RV industry, and the remaining 30% goes to MH.

In the RV industry, the company manufactures range hoods and accessories, Ventadomes and related accessories, and monitoring systems. The company’s new Northern Breeze™ series of roof vents offers

Ventline quality with the cosmetic style and beauty that today’s RVers demand. This series of 12V DC products offer many options, including rain sensors, power-lift domes, thermostats and built-in or remote wall mounted controls. All models have variable speed control, providing up to a true 800 CFM air flow and will fit into a standard 14” x 14" opening.

The company also manufactures kitchen and bathroom ventilation products for the residential home industry.

Ventline’s experienced management team has been in place for several years and is well known to the RV community in the Elkhart-Goshen area and throughout the country.

Dan Dippel has been in his General Manager’s position for two years and has spent fifteen years with Philips, seven as a plant manager. Frueauf has been with the company for eleven years, serving the last three as Product Manager and as Assistant Product Marketing Manager prior to that.

The company actually manufacturers over 1,000 different products at this one location, and their full-service manufacturing operations allow for rapid changes and quick responses to changing customer requirements.

With their own engineering department, engineering changes are done quickly and professionally, all in-house. On the manufacturing floor, they have their own powder coating and stamping operations.

Many of the products are distributed through national and regional distributors and are well known through the RV industry. Ventline shares a sales presence with Philips and has 12-15 reps with four located in the Elkhart-Goshen area and others dispersed throughout the country.

Dippel said, "Customers appreciate the value statement that we bring to our relationships. They know we are quality conscious and know what’s good for our industry. They also appreciate the longevity of our workforce and that translates into quality manufacturing by caring people. Ten percent of our team has been here over twenty years, and half of our employees have been here more than ten years. This kind of experience can only mean better products, better relationships, and a level of responsiveness and concern that can never be achieved in Mexico, China or other foreign countries.

“If our customers have concerns or questions, they can simply drive over to our facility, meet with our management team, and resolve the issues on the spot. They can’t do that if the container of products from China doesn’t quite match up to their expectations."

Frueauf adds, "Some of our customers have tried alternative suppliers, only to find that the reliability, quality, and communications are just not the same.

We have worked hard to build safety, quality, and a respect for our employees and customers that is unmatched in our industry.

“Our employees are tremendous. When you consider the amount of product that flows through the shop, it’s simply amazing that we have only had two accidents in the last three years and neither one of them resulted in any lost time.

Customers understand this level of commitment that results in consistent quality products that deliver the trouble-free performance in their RV’s and manufactured homes."

You really have to walk the plant to fully appreciate the manufacturing capabilities that Ventline brings to the RV industry. Suz-anne noted, "When customers visit and learn more about our manufacturing expertise, it solidifies the relationship.

When they see that we can produce any color match they need through our powdercoated paint facility or watch our electronics group carefully preparing wiring harnesses, it provides them with a level of confidence that actually expands the relationship. We recently added a $750,000 roll form line that is capable of eight different window stiffeners, providing even more flexibility with this product line."

Looking ahead, Dippel said, "We are concerned with the risk of China imports. An RV is an American institution and we hope that manufacturers will use American companies and protect the investment we have made in people and plants. We have many long-term employees who could be impacted by the continued use of offshore manufacturing that produces less than acceptable products for many RV manufacturers.

“Quality products come from quality people who understand the manufacturing process. Sometimes these products may cost more, but in the end, they actually cost less because of our quality and reliability of the delivered products."